Crazy Liquor Laws

It's Enough to Drive You to Drink!

Archives for July 2016

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Hey Siri! Can I by beer on Sunday in Ohio?

I have been on a contract assignment in Mason, Ohio, just northeast of Cincinnati for almost fours weeks now. Over that time I have now spent two weekends in Ohio. This past weekend, I was invited to have dinner with Chuck, a friend whom I worked for several years ago when we both lived in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Chuck now lives in the Columbus area, about an hour and a half from Mason. Trying to be a good guest, I asked Chuck what kind of beer he liked and I was planning to take a six pack of Bells Oberon for us to enjoy with whatever he was going to be grilling Sunday evening.

Well, in somewhat of a mild panic Saturday evening I thought I should find out if I could buy beer on Sunday in Ohio. If not, I’d better get on the stick and find a six pack before it was too late. Sounds like a simple enough question, right? HA! Well, a quick lookup at our friends over at Legal Beer’s Liquor Laws by State page  showed no specific prohibition of Sunday sales of alcohol with “off-premise” sales allowed from 5:30 A.M. to 1:00 A.M. So I was able to pick up a six pack of Bells Oberon on my way to Chuck’s and was treated to a very enjoyable evening.

But when I decided to write about this little adventure here, I wanted to get the “official” story from the source. So after several false starts on Google, I wound up at Title [43] XLIII LIQUOR, Chapter 4301, Section 22 of the Ohio Revised Code “Rules for sales of beer and intoxicating liquor under all classes of permits and from state liquor stores”. I know, right? And it gets worse.

(C) No sales of intoxicating liquor shall be made after two-thirty a.m. on Sunday except under either of the following circumstances:

(1) Intoxicating liquor may be sold on Sunday under authority of a permit that authorizes Sunday sale.

(2) Spirituous liquor may be sold on Sunday by any person awarded an agency contract under section 4301.17 of the Revised Code if the sale of spirituous liquor is authorized in the applicable precinct as the result of an election on question (B)(1) or (2) of section 4301.351 of the Revised Code and if the agency contract authorizes the sale of spirituous liquor on Sunday.

This section does not prevent a municipal corporation from adopting a closing hour for the sale of intoxicating liquor earlier than two-thirty a.m. on Sunday or to provide that no intoxicating liquor may be sold prior to that hour on Sunday.

So apperantly I COULD have been unlucky enough to be in a city where beer could NOT be sold. But fortunately I wasn’t. And the short answer, Siri, is “Yes Mark, you can buy beer in Ohio on Sunday.” Thank you Siri.

What do you think?

So let me know what you think. Can you buy beer on Sunday where you live? How about wine or other forms of intoxicating spirits? We want to hear about it. Leave a comment below. Or email me at Mark@CrazyLiquorLaws.com. You will need to register to comment and at that time I will need your email address; but don’t worry; I won’t be spamming you and will never sell your information.

Cheers!

Mark

 

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A Dry Week

When we lived in Harrison, Arkansas, Boone county was “dry”. We had to drive an hour north to Missouri to by beer, wine, or liquor of any kind. But some jurisdictions are dryer than others. In Plano and Allen, Texas, we have been able to enjoy adult beverages with our meals and purchase beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores for as long as we have lived in the area. But if we wanted a bottle of anything stronger, we had to travel. But in the spring of 2013, Plano voters decided to allow liquor stores in their city. And this past spring, Allen decided to join the party. This was all after Boone county Arkansas uncorked a wet vote in November of 2010.

This post started out to be an apology for not having anything for you today. But it’s turned out to be not quite as dry as I had expected. I’m in my third week of a new job that has required travel and long hours. So I haven’t had much time for blog research and writing. My travels have taken me to new jurisdictions which include both a Whole Foods with a growler bar and state run liquor stores. I hope to do some research and crank out some fresh content over the next few weeks. So please stick around.

What do you think?

So let me know what you think. Is your area wet or dry? Or moist? We want to hear about it. Leave a comment below. Or email me at Mark@CrazyLiquorLaws.com. You will need to register to comment and at that time I will need your email address; but don’t worry; I won’t be spamming you and will never sell your information.

Cheers!

Mark

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Growler Bars at Whole Foods

I was first introduced to the concept of a “growler bar” in a grocery store at the Whole Foods Market in Chattanooga, Tennessee when I was on a contract assignment at Volkswagen about three years ago. In the cheese section, they have a small bar with four beers on tap. You can actually buy a pint and drink it while you shop for your organic grass fed beef and free range eggs. You can also get a “growler” of your beer choice to go.

For those of you unfamiliar with growlers, a growler is a jug of beer to-go. You purchase the jug the first time and take it back to have it refilled, paying only for the beer on the refills. (Well, that’s the theory anyway. I seem to be collecting jugs from various venues that I don’t have with me when I need a refill.) Growlers have long been a staple at brew pubs in most states. (I understand Florida has an issue with growlers. I will research and report back for a later post.) I have recently run across growlers at a few Whole Foods stores in several states and at a liquor store in Arkansas.

Finally, A Growler Bar Close to Home

My wife Tracy and I recently checked out the new Whole Foods Market Cityline in Richardson, Texas, about ten miles from our home in Allen. I was really there to investigate the rumors that this new Whole Foods had a growler bar. Rumor confirmed! They actually have a pretty nice bar they call the Taproom. It appears to also be the cafe area for the deli and offers sixteen beers/ciders on tap.

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Of course the name of this blog is Crazy Liquor Laws, so there has to be a story here. I was talking with the bartender and learned some interesting twists about our newfound beer-vana. The Taproom is a unique venue legally separated from the rest of the store by two half walls. These walls are really purely decorative. Tracy was admiring their spaced two by four design as we were entering the bar. But they are required to be there to demark the space. And there is a specially marked exit door for growlers, as featured in the photo above. Tasting is allowed. (No more than one ounce at a time by law.) Unlike Chattanooga, all beer must be consumed in the Taproom. Packaged beer and wine may be purchased in the store and consumed in the Taproom. This beer or wine must be served by the bartender and must be left behind the bar until you leave, at which point you may take any remainder with you; no special rules or restrictions. Crazy.

What do you think?

So let me know what you think. Have you enjoyed your favorite IPA while you shopped? What are the rules for growlers where you live? We want to hear about it. Leave a comment below. Or email me at Mark@CrazyLiquorLaws.com. You will need to register to comment and at that time I will need your email address; but don’t worry; I won’t be spamming you and will never sell your information.

Cheers!

Mark

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Nevada – That was easy

You must be 21.

What do you think?

So let me know what you think. Have you ever ordered adult beverages to-go at a drive thru? We want to hear about it. Leave a comment below. Or email me at Mark@CrazyLiquorLaws.com. You will need to register to comment and at that time I will need your email address; but don’t worry; I won’t be spamming you and will never sell your information.

Cheers!

Mark